


Lightning Tail's Sacrifice

by DuplexBeGreat



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: M/M, This should have been canon, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 15:36:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13707423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuplexBeGreat/pseuds/DuplexBeGreat
Summary: Thunderstar's Echo, from Lightning Tail's POV.





	Lightning Tail's Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> Writing about cats is more annoying than I thought it would be. You can't talk about them smiling or having tears in their eyes to show emotion, and there's a whole range of other verbs associated with speech. Body language has to take tails into account and scent is a thing that comes up at least once per page.
> 
> So, yeah, it's my first Warriors fic. Hope it's not too bad, comments are greatly appreciated :) I own nothing here.

“Dogs are dumb, right? Let’s see if we can trick them. When I run, you run the other way, up the hill.” Thunder’s breath came out in quick gasps as he and Lightning Tail struggled to hold the four massive beasts at bay. So far the dogs had been discouraged from moving in by a few well-placed claw swipes to their muzzles, but both cats could smell their blood-lust. They wouldn’t wait much longer.

“Okay,” Lightning Tail agreed, and both cats hesitated for a moment, back to back. The dogs moved in closer still, baring their huge teeth.

Thunder‒for no matter how many lives he had, to Lightning Tail he would always be Thunder‒bolted forward, his huge paws making for the gap between the two largest dogs. The dogs, barking, surged toward him, their attention focused entirely on the prey that was trying to escape. In a flash Lightning Tail had darted out of the deadly ring in the opposite direction, haring towards the hill from which he and Thunder had first observed the Twoleg camp that these dogs called home. His breath drawn tighter than ever before, his paws light as rain on the dried-up grass, he dared not look back to make sure Thunder was following. Instead he listened for the sound of another set of paws close behind his own, and for that of four much heavier sets in lively pursuit.

The dogs’ hot, menacing panting remained, but the sound of pawsteps was cut abruptly short. Freezing in his tracks, Lightning Tail spun around to a horrifying sight: One of the dogs had Thunder’s tail in its jaws and a second was going for his shoulder. All four had completely forgotten about Lightning Tail‒they smelled blood, now.

Lightning Tail didn’t stop to think for even a moment. Immediately reversing course, he flew across the ground towards the struggle, leaping at the muzzle of the dog whose teeth were now tearing into Thunder’s pelt. The dog yelped and immediately released its hold on Thunder, who scrambled to his feet and slashed at the eyes of one of the other dogs.

The next few seconds were a blur of claws and fangs. Lightning Tail felt as though he wasn’t in control of his own body, as though he was only capable of following his most base instincts. Together, he and Thunder seemed to be striking all four dogs at once, ripping out chunks of fur from the giant animals’ faces and never stopping to get hit themselves.

And yet, in some other part of his mind, Lightning Tail could feel the jaws that had clamped around his side. Pain came with them, too, but it didn’t feel real. Nothing felt real except the dogs’ flesh beneath his claws and the feeling of utter invincibility as he fought with Thunder by his side. Some part of his eyes saw Thunder’s leg take a terrible bite from another of the dogs, yet that didn’t seem real either. They were the leader and deputy of ThunderClan‒they were unstoppable.

“Run,” gasped Thunder. “Lightning Tail, run!”

Lightning Tail obeyed without question, though he wasn’t sure why his friend had given the order. The dogs’ faces were marked with countless claw strikes, and the cats’ wounds were minor‒otherwise, they would surely be in great pain. They were winning; why stop now?

But he ran nevertheless. He ran and ran and ran, still not allowing himself to think about pain, not pausing to wonder where they were headed, or whether Thunder had any more idea of their destination than he did. The ground ceased to exist; there was only the repetitive motion of his paws propelling him faster than any cat had ever run towards some place where the dogs would not follow.

They stopped in the shade of a large oak tree, one of many that now surrounded the pair of ThunderClan cats. Lightning Tail tasted the air‒no scent of dogs, or of the Twolegplace that they had come from. He turned to Thunder‒

His paws fell out from under him and the ground rushed up like an approaching monster. All of a sudden he could feel the great gasping pain in his side where the dog’s fangs had been, could feel the scythes through his flank where another had grazed him‒could feel an utter lack of energy to move, to think, to  _ be _ ‒

“Thank you,” Thunder said hoarsely. “You saved me. You shouldn’t have come back for me, but I’m grateful.” He licked Lightning Tail’s shoulder, and his touch seemed to give life back into the black tom, if only for a moment‒

“I couldn’t leave you. That’s not what a Clan cat does.” Black spots filling his vision, Lightning Tail could barely see the tree directly in front of him. The pain in his lower body refused to go away, no matter how much he tried to think of the peace that existed back in the ThunderClan camp, or all the time he had spent with Thunder, or even the simple joy of tearing through a freshly-caught shrew‒

“Are we dying?” Thunder whispered.

Dying?

…

Yes. That must be what this was. Already, the pain was fading again‒not, Lightning Tail realized, because the wound was mild, but because he was losing focus. He would never see the hollow again‒never play with a new litter of kits, their proud mother watching carefully‒never  _ have _ kits of his own, not that he had really planned to anyway‒

Thunder would have to find a new deputy, he realized. Violet Dawn would be the logical choice. She was smart and determined, and as Thunder’s mate, would make an excellent team with him, their leadership unmatched by any of the other Clans.

A flutter of panic rose in his chest. Would  _ Thunder _ even survive to make it back to the camp? If ThunderClan lost its leader and deputy at the same time‒

He forced himself to have faith. Cloud Spots had told them all of how he had witnessed Gray Wing, Storm, and seven other StarClan cats give Thunder nine lives with which to lead his Clan without fear. If the stories of Windstar’s miraculous recovery from sickness were to be believed… 

Barely able to see, unable to feel anything at all, even pain, Lightning Tail somehow managed to open his mouth to reassure his friend. “StarClan gave you nine lives, remember? You’ll go on, for the Clan.”

“I don’t know if it’s true,” Thunder mumbled. “I hope it is, but I don’t know for sure. If I die and I don’t come back, Violet Dawn will be alone.”

His heart aching for a reason he wasn’t quite sure of, Lightning Tail found that he still had the strength to comfort the other cat, even though his entire body felt like it was made of rocks. He raised his tail and gently rested it across Thunder’s back. “I believe it’s true,” he said quietly, each word taking a lifetime to get out. “You’ve been the best leader I could have asked for, the strongest cat I know. StarClan will save you.”

“If I was a good leader,” Thunder whispered, “it’s only because I had you to rely on. I could never have formed ThunderClan without you.”

Lightning Tail knew this was true, had even heard it spoken before, from Thunder and others, and yet he found the praise more choking than his injuries already were.  _ I just helped you keep your head on straight _ , he tried to say.  _ I did what any friend would _ .

But his mouth refused to move. His paws had vanished, his tail, his ears. The world was slowly fading into a calm, deaf, blinding nothingness. Lightning Tail let his eyes droop fully shut and felt as if he was being peacefully carried away by a cloud.

 

* * *

 

The sun had grown stronger, yet not so bright that its light was harsh against their pelts. The air tasted as if prey were all around them, as if the prey would never run out. The grass underfoot was the most beautiful green Lightning Tail had ever seen, and the trees a short distance away seemed welcoming, whispering through the rustle of their leaves that mice and squirrels and sparrows aplenty were inside. Every muscle in Lightning Tail’s body felt completely rejuvenated, and his fur rippled with an indefinable sense of well-being.

Fur brushed against his, and he realized that Thunder was beside him. The two cats looked at each other, eyes wide.

“How did we get here?” Thunder wondered aloud. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know, but it’s nice, isn’t it?” Lightning Tail said. He flicked his tail and turned around, sniffing the air. “No dogs.” No Twolegplace-stench, either. Only prey, and the forest, and, somewhere far off, other cats… Cats from all the Clans… 

“We have to figure out how to get to ThunderClan from here,” Thunder said, then hesitated. “No, we still need to get rid of those dogs. We’ll have to go back.”

“Yes, Thunderstar, you have to go back,” a quiet voice mewed from behind them.

Lightning Tail turned his head, not daring to believe his own ears. A sleek dark gray tom had emerged from the forest and was watching them with calm golden eyes.

“Gray Wing!” Thunder gasped.

Lightning Tail’s heart swelled with happiness at seeing the cat he had known all his life, who had taught him to hunt when he was just a kit. Before he could even blink his paws were moving of their own accord, carrying him to stand directly in front of Gray Wing. They touched noses in greeting, and Lightning Tail was surprised to find that the departed cat had warmth, had substance, had a smell. This was no vision. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Thunder rubbing his cheek against Gray Wing’s own, both cats pleased to see their close kin again.

“What going on?” Thunder said. “Where  _ are _ we?”

Gray Wing flicked his tail. “Don’t you know?”

Lightning Tail felt finality settle into his chest. Of course he knew. But he hadn’t wanted to accept it. Even after seeing Gray Wing, he had held out hope that they were simply having a very unusual shared dream from StarClan.

“You seem well,” said Thunder tentatively, as if trying to dodge the question. “You’re not sick anymore?”

Gray Wing’s whiskers curled in amusement. “No cat is sick here,” he said. “And prey never runs short, and there are no dangers to guard against.”

A small sigh escaping from his throat, Lightning Tail sat down abruptly, as if his legs had given out under him once more. “We’re in StarClan? We’re dead, then.”  _ At least _ , he thought,  _ I died protecting the Clan from danger. _

_ At least I wasn’t alone. _

Gray Wing tilted his head thoughtfully. “Yes,” he said. “And no. Lightning Tail, you can join StarClan now. Hunt with us, walk with your friends in a forest where there is nothing to fear. Your parents, Jackdaw’s Cry and Hawk Swoop, are here, and they will be so glad to see you.”

Lightning Tail felt his entire being swell with joy.  _ My parents _ . There was so much to share with them… Though he knew they had been watching over him, he could not wait to tell them about the hollow where ThunderClan had made its home, about every wonderful thing and every tragic thing that had happened since their deaths.

Absorbed in his emotions, he did not hear the next words Gray Wing spoke, or Thunder’s outburst in response. He already knew, even amidst his joy, of the sorrow that had to accompany it: Thunder had eight more lives left to give in service to his Clan. He would not be joining Lightning Tail for this final adventure.

“And he didn’t have to, did he?” Thunder’s words reached him once more, pulling him out of the grief of their parting. “I would have come back to life?”

Gray Wing shook his head. “If you hadn’t escaped those dogs, they could have killed you again and again. Lightning Tail truly did save you.” He looked over at Lightning Tail, pride shining in his eyes. “And there is nothing more important than protecting the cats you love.”

Lightning Tail understood. He had one last duty to perform for the future of his Clan. Banishing his sorrow, he stepped toward Thunder, his oldest friend, his erstwhile companion, fighting to hold back emotion. “StarClan gave you nine lives for a reason. ThunderClan needs its leader. You  _ must _ go on. You’ll be a good father to your kits and keep looking after your Clan.”

“But I can’t do it without you,” Thunder pleaded. “You’re my deputy. You’re the only one I can trust to help me lead.”

Thunder’s words stung deeper into Lightning Tail’s pelt than he ever could have known.  _ Please _ , Lightning Tail silently pleaded.  _ Don’t make this any harder than it already is _ . He steeled himself and managed to keep talking. “I expect I’ll be watching over you from StarClan,” he replied, throwing a glance over to Gray Wing, who nodded in affirmation.  _ Just… a bit more…  _ “And you’ll find the right cat to be your new deputy. But I will always be right beside you…” he struggled, forcing the last word to come out, knowing it was absolutely necessary but wishing desperately that it did not have to exist. “... Thunderstar.”

Thunder seemed to be trying to speak again, but before any more could be said, his fur glimmered with stars and he vanished.

A few moments passed in silence before Gray Wing spoke again. “... Lightning Tail. Thank you.”

Lightning Tail got to his paws and pretended to explore the clearing, not wanting to revisit the already-painful situation. “For saving Thunder from the dogs? I did what any loyal ThunderClan cat would have done.”

Gray Wing sighed, striding over to stand beside the younger cat. Resting his tail lightly atop Lightning Tail’s back, he murmured, “No. For letting him go back.”

Lightning Tail shook his head, refusing to let his emotions rise again. “I‒I don’t know what you mean. Of course he had to go back. He’s our leader. The others‒they need him.”

“They do,” Gray Wing said softly. “But you needed him, too.”

Lightning Tail jerked away from the older cat. “What are you talking about?”

“You love him, Lightning Tail. You always have.” Gray Wing’s eyes brimmed with sympathy for the black tom as he waited for a response.

The fur on his cheeks growing hot, Lightning Tail whipped his head around in surprise. “ _ Love _ him? Where did  _ that _ idea come from? He’s my best friend!”

Purring, Gray Wing replied, “When the two of you were kits, you followed Thunder everywhere, your tail raised and crooked like a bolt of lightning. Everyone said that you two were a storm in the making.”

Lightning Tail snorted derisively. “Kits are always eager to follow each other around. That doesn’t mean‒”

“And then,” continued Gray Wing, as if Lightning Tail had not spoken, “when he fell head over paws for Star Flower, any cat could see that you were jealous. That you were on edge and unhappy whenever he was spending time with her.”

“She was a traitor, and I saw it coming from the moment she joined our group! I was just trying to warn him not to‒”

“But I didn’t really know, not for certain, until the two of you formed ThunderClan together,” finished Gray Wing. “When I visited your camp and saw the pride shining in your eyes for the new group that you had helped create‒and the utmost love for the cat who would lead it to prosperity, even if it meant going against his father’s will to do so.”

Lightning Tail had nothing to say. Face burning, he turned away from Gray Wing, unwilling to let his eyes betray any more of his feelings.

Soft paw steps to his right indicated that the older cat had once again drawn level with him. “You never told him how you felt.” It wasn’t a question, but the tone of Gray Wing’s mew contained the unspoken follow-up:  _ Why? _

For what seemed like an eternity Lightning Tail did not answer, until he realized that he  _ needed _ to answer, that the truth had been begging to be set free from his throat for moons now. “... I didn’t want to put another burden on him. He had so much responsibility to our Clan… and I knew he had always meant to have kits of his own. I couldn’t take that away from him, or‒or make him think that he had to care about my feelings!”

His knees buckled, and for the third time in recent memory, Lightning Tail found himself sinking to the ground against his will. His mew was now shaky, as if he could barely believe what he was saying. “And when he met Violet Dawn… he was so happy. From the moment he saw her. I never would have had a chance, so‒so I didn’t waste my time trying. It would have only hurt more.” Horrified at how much he had said, he closed his eyes, wishing Gray Wing would just go away.

Instead, his former mentor’s tail once again fell across his back. Laying down beside Lightning Tail, Gray Wing waited for the younger cat to finish his internal struggle. When Lightning Tail’s eyes were open once more, Gray Wing spoke again. “There is no shame in having loved, Lightning Tail. It’s not a weakness, it’s a strength.”

The black tom whirled around. “I know that! I’m not a kit, Gray Wing! I’m not ashamed of anything.”

“Then you should not be so ill at ease.” Gray Wing flicked his tail back and forth. “StarClan is not a place of anxiety or regret. Here we are at peace, with each other and with ourselves.”

Lightning Tail waited a moment, then let out a small purr. “Peace. That… sounds nice.” He gazed off into the distance. “And I’ll see Thunder again someday, won’t I?”

“Nine lives can pass by sooner than you think,” said Gray Wing. “And as you told Thunder yourself, you will always be with him. You’ll live on in every cat ThunderClan appoints to fill the role of its leader’s trusted right paw. And from StarClan, you will be able to watch as the Clan grows and evolves into an awe-inspiring, unbreakable force that stands the test of time… all springing from the small group that you and Thunder first started.”

Lightning Tail heard his mew, at last, release any lingering traces of worry. “So both Thunder and I will know that what we did together meant something,  _ created _ something, even if I can’t be with him for all of it. Even though I was never open with him about how I felt.” His fur rippled as a gentle breeze washed over both cats.

Getting to his paws, Gray Wing began to walk off towards a small hollow a short distance away, where, Lightning Tail was beginning to realize, several other cats had been waiting to greet the newest member of StarClan. Pausing as the scents of Jackdaw’s Cry, Hawk Swoop, Falling Feather, and many more drifted over on the breeze, Gray Wing beckoned with his tail that Lightning Tail should follow.

As the two cats left the forest clearing behind, Gray Wing said, “You gave every part of yourself to your Clan and your leader, Lightning Tail, for every moment that you lived. And even in death, you were able to accept your fate and let Thunder return to the cats that needed him with a clear conscience. That was the last in a line of honorable deeds you committed for your Clan. That was your noblest sacrifice.”


End file.
